Minami no Megumi (gift from nature in Minami region)
I met Noh no Ikebana 12 years ago at one of the gatherings of female farmers in Hino city, Tokyo. The group, Michikusa-kai, invited a lecturer from a Noh no Ikebana club in Tokyo and I was so thrilled to know ordinary items like vegetables and flowers can be combined to make such an artistic presentation. It was also very happy to see my vegetables looking so beautiful in the arrangement.
I currently work with 15 other members of a local Noh no Ikebana club, and exhibit arrangements at local events such as annual symposiums on urban farming held by Hino city. Events are where we can enjoy various outputs and I appreciate these opportunities very much as I don’t have a space to display my arrangement at home.
This is the arrangement to mark the opening of “Minami no Megumi,” a new farmers’ market opened by an agricultural cooperative in Tokyo, JA Tokyo Minami. It features rice, persimmons and other autumn materials to celebrate the abundant gifts from nature we find in this area.
＜Container＞ Bamboos, a bamboo basket, a spinning wheel, and wooden steam cookers
＜Materials＞ Rice plant, millet plant, hot peppers, persimmons, hananasu plants, snake gourds, onions, Japanese gingers, bulbils, Chinese quinces, a pumpkin, etc.